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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · current · snap · kid · sharp · prune · ruler · tube

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. current — happening now
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — child
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — a container
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kid — to tease
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com